Speech topics for 11 year olds

Jared Lewis Updated February 21, 2017

Finding a speech topic for class can be a bit of a challenge for most students. Most students have a hard enough time overcoming the fear of giving a speech in front of their classmates. Finding the right speech topic for 11-year-old students can instil confidence and empower them to complete the speech.

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Relationships

While it might be tempting to assume that 11-year-old children would want to talk about something amusing or fun, no-fear-public-speaking.com noted that the finalists in a public speaking competition held each year for three successive years preferred topics that were less than "fun." Instead the list of topics making the finals during those three years indicated that students preferred more serious topics that either covered human relationships or global issues. Only one speech topic, candy, made the finals during those three years.

Topics related to relationships can include areas such as "living with girls" (for boys) or "living with boys" (for girls) for students whose siblings are of the opposite sex. Other relationship topics include dealing with bullies, getting to know people before judging them, the impact of teasing on another child and having a twin. Any type of relationship that is appropriate for children to analyse can be the subject of a good speech.

Persuasive Topics

The prevalence of global or political issues among 11-year-old students indicates that they pay more attention to what takes place in the news than parents and teachers often give them credit for. Persuasive speeches can be one avenue for these students to express their concern over these issues and even attempt to sway an audience in one direction. Keeping the topics pertinent to the student and his daily experiences is more likely to be effective than simply letting him argue on behalf of any topic. For instance, a speech on whether or not children 11-and-older children should have to pay adult prices at amusement parks is more likely to be effective than one on human rights.

How To Speeches

Choose an activity you know how to do well and use your speech to instruct others. Students can provide other students with a tutorial of how to complete a task or how to get involved in a hobby that they may already be involved in. Students who already know how to complete the task they will be instructing the audience in completing will be able to easily walk them through the task. Another type of "how to" speech topic deals with issues on how to make their school better or how to become environmentally conscious by starting a recycling program. Many students will like providing their classmates or audience with ideas about how to make their world a better place.

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References

About the Author

Jared Lewis is a professor of history, philosophy and the humanities. He has taught various courses in these fields since 2001. A former licensed financial adviser, he now works as a writer and has published numerous articles on education and business. He holds a bachelor's degree in history, a master's degree in theology and has completed doctoral work in American history.